Hey, Where’s My Display Ad?

Display advertising has seen a resurgence over the past few years thanks to much improved targeting and testing technologies, but some very significant problems remain.

A new report out from Comscore indicates that 3 out of 10 display ads were never rendered "in-view" in 2012. Despite delivering upwards of six trillion impressions, if users can't see the ad they are certainly unlikely to ever click (or take any action).

For advertisers the lack of "viewable" impressions results in significant waste, weaker campaign performance and poor-performing inventory overall that imbalances the supply-and-demand equation and depresses CPMs. Through the continued adoption of a viewable impressions standard however, the market will likely move toward a model that better aligns monetization with the value created by the inventory according to Comscore.

“2013 is poised to be digital’s most exciting year yet as the growing ubiquity of digital platforms presents marketers with nearly endless opportunities to connect and engage with consumers,” said Linda Abraham, comScore CMO and EVP of Global Product Development. “It’s clear that the dynamics of the marketplace have fundamentally evolved through the adoption of smartphones and tablets and the increasingly ‘digital’ nature of all media. Navigating this changing landscape requires a holistic understanding of the key trends, underlying drivers and new opportunities that the digital ecosystem will bring in the year ahead.”

Comscore provided several insights in its 2013 U.S. Digital Future in Focus report, including details on social media market share, Google and Bing search market share, online video, and ecommerce.